Remember the Loop
by SamCyberCat
Summary: Luke wants to learn how to tie his shoe laces and there's really only one person who he thinks can help him to do that.


**Notes:** Written for a kinkmeme prompt that wanted a fic about Layton teaching Luke how to tie his shoes. Set just after the main events of PL3, with some spoilers for what happens to Luke at the end of the third game.

* * *

"You'll laugh, Professor," Luke mumbled, not meeting his eyes.

"When have I ever laughed at you before, my boy?" asked Layton, genuinely surprised to hear him suggest that.

"I guess you've never laughed at me… but this is really dumb," Luke replied.

Kneeling down so that the two of them were level, Layton assured, "I promise that whatever it is you're worried about, I won't laugh."

"All right then," Luke resigned. He then took a deep breath and admitted, "I can't tie shoe laces."

There was a pause, and then Layton said, "Is that all?"

"What do you mean 'is that all'? I'm thirteen years old, Professor! I should know how to tie my laces by now. Everyone else in my class can…" mumbled Luke, "But I've only ever worn buckles before."

"There's nothing wrong with that, my boy. Some people just pick these things up faster than others. I'd be embarrassed to admit how long it took me to learn how to whistle," Layton comforted, "Though, I must ask, why the sudden interest in tying your shoes? There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the ones you have now."

"Because I'm moving to America soon and I don't know what the schools are like over there. Maybe they have rules where you have to wear shoes with laces or something like that. And if I go over there not knowing how to do it, then I'll look really silly," said Luke, "You're the only person I think I could ask to help me with this. So if I leave it much longer, it'll be too late."

Layton had to agree that there wasn't much time left before the Triton family moved abroad. If anything, the recent attack on London had only encouraged Clark to hurry the move along faster.

"Very well, I'll gladly help you to learn," Layton replied.

"Thanks, Professor! I knew that I could count on you," Luke cheered, smiling up at him now.

"Well then, just get me your new shoes and I'll show you how," prompted Layton.

"Um, I kind of haven't bought them yet…" murmured Luke.

"No trouble at all. For the sake of this demonstration, I suppose that we'll just make do with my own shoes," said Layton, reaching down to untie his laces, "Now, I want you to watch closely as I go through this. First of all, you cross the two laces over each other, like this," he did this as he spoke, "Then you hold one of the laces in the shape of a loop and wrap the other one around it. Now, you should see a little hole in the middle. Make a loop with the lace you've just wrapped around the first one, then pull it through the hole. And there you have it."

"Okay…" muttered Luke, in a tone that suggested he wasn't following.

"It sounds a lot more complicated than it is," Layton promised him, "Why don't you give it a try, to see how you get on."

He undid the lace again, so that Luke could try. Really, he couldn't help but feel that he should have made up some story about chasing rabbits to make it seem more fun, but Layton had never managed to understand those sorts of stories himself. To him, it just seemed easier to be frank, instead of pretending that shoe laces were rabbit holes.

The young boy stared nervously at the shoes for a moment, as if this was some sort of test that would affect his whole life if he failed it. Then he picked up the two laces and crossed them over. That part, at least, was easy enough. Trying to remember what the Professor had said to do next, Luke then made a loop with one of the laces and wrapped the second one around it.

That was when it all went wrong. As Luke pulled the lace through the hole, he was left with a knot composed of a single loop and two ends.

"Oh…"

"It's not a problem, you almost had it right," Layton reassured, pulling the knot loose again, "The only thing you did wrong was that you didn't make a loop to pull through the hole at the end."

"I see. All right then, I'll give it another try," replied Luke, taking hold of the laces with a look of determination.

This time, he followed the instructions exactly, slipping the loop through the hole at the end. As the laces magically formed into a presentable looking knot, Luke's face lit up with joy.

"I did it, Professor! I tied a lace!" he chimed.

"Well done," Layton congratulated, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think that I hear the phone ringing." He got up from the floor, heading through to the hallway to answer it. After a few moments, he leaned around the door and said, "It's your father, Luke. He wants to know if you're ready to go home."

Luke smiled.

"Yes, I think that I am," he answered.

Now that he could tie laces, Luke felt that he was very definitely ready to both go home and go on to start his new life in America.


End file.
